


Let Me Go Home

by CTayfics



Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers Dino Charge
Genre: Alternate Ending, Canon Divergence, Family Feels, Fix-it fic, Friends as Family, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Home, Ivan deserved better, Koda deserved better, Screw Destiny, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-19
Updated: 2016-11-19
Packaged: 2018-08-30 07:57:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8525071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CTayfics/pseuds/CTayfics
Summary: Fix-it fic for the end of Power Rangers Dino (Super) Charge.  What might have been.  (Spoilers, obviously.)





	

Keeper took a deep breath. “Now that Sledge and his evil crew have been defeated, and the Energems are no longer in danger, I feel that it is only fair for me to return Ivan and Koda to their original times, as a repayment for helping to defeat them.”

He lifted his staff and began to gather energy at one end. Koda and Ivan’s eyes widened in shock, and Ivan braced himself for an impact. Chase grimaced, and Riley, Phillip and James stared in bewilderment. Kendall covered her mouth to block a gasp. Shelby and Tyler grabbed each other’s hands. They closed their eyes, and…

 

“ _No_.”

The Dino Charge Rangers turned to look at Koda, standing in their midst. Keeper lowered his staff, the glow fading.

“Koda?” someone—maybe Kendall, though she’d probably deny it—whispered.

“No,” he said again, more defiantly. “I no want to go back. I want to stay,” he paused, “with my _family_.”

Everyone, even Keeper, stared at the oldest Dino Charge Ranger. Some of them started tearing up.

Keeper looked intently at Koda, leaning on his staff. “May I ask why?”

Koda took a deep breath as the other Rangers moved closer to him in support. “In my time,” he explained, “My family, mother, father…are gone. Tagu almost grown before I found Energem and…left.” He took another deep breath. “They gone now. This I know, here,” he said, moving his hand over his heart, “and here,” over his head. “And, even if I go back, if I live with Tagu again, this pain I always know. But this family,” he said, turning to his fellow Rangers, some of whom were definitely crying now, “is still alive. They just as much my family as Tagu and grandfather…even not-so-mean Prince,” he grinned at Phillip, who rolled his eyes with a smile.

“And I love new time. Even if lots of things confusing, lots of things new and interesting. I love Bronto Burgers. I love dishwashing and weird music of Shelby and Chase. I love mail and exploring. I love fighting and protecting people. I love Kendall, and Chase, and Tyler and Shelby, and Riley, and Ivan, and Prince Phillip, and Tyler Dad. Even Zenowing and Keeper.” He shrugged at Heckyl, and said, “We get there.”

Heckyll shrugged helplessly back.

Koda turned back to Keeper. “I already lose one family…one life. I don’t want to lose another,” he declared. He took the hands of the Rangers nearest to him: Kendall and Chase. “I want to _stay_.”

Kendall, Shelby and Tyler wiped their eyes as the remaining Rangers drew closer to Koda. Ivan cleared his throat several times, and said, “Well spoken, Koda. I don’t think that I could have put it better.” He slipped his hand into Kendall’s empty one and turned to face Keeper. “With all due respect, Keeper, I agree with Koda. I do not wish to return to the Zandar from whence I came, even if there are people I left behind. I made my difference for Zandar long ago. I have already made my peace with the past; let it remain there, and let me…no, let _us_ have our future.”

Keeper studied the Rangers as somebody else coughed to clear an emotional throat. “I had originally intended to return you to your original timelines,” he said to Ivan and Koda, “but if that is the case, if you truly wish to stay with the others? Koda? Ivan?”

They both nodded.

“Then I will instead return you all to the café, just after you left it.” Keeper raised his staff, the gem in the top beginning to glow again. “I will miss you, my friends. Until we meet again, may the Power protect you all. And thank you.”

Zenowing and Heckyll lifted their talon and hand in farewell as Keeper waved his staff toward the gathered Rangers. They held on to each other as the vortex of energy swept around them, and everything went dark.

 

They opened their eyes to the familiar sight of the dimly lit Dino Lair, still humming with electricity, but no longer with the Energem’s power.

The Rangers moved apart from their cluster to stretch out the muscle aches of time-travel. Tyler had his arms around Shelby, Ivan had his arms around Kendall, and Chase tried to slip money to Shelby around Tyler’s back. Riley sat on the ground, gaze unfocused and tired, and James and Phillip leaned against a lab table to catch their breath. Turning, Koda took in the familiar cave-like room with tears in his eyes.

“Everyone?” Koda said quietly. Kendall looked up from Ivan’s shoulder, and Chase turned expectantly.

Koda coughed and said, “It is very good to be back _home_.”

At that, everyone gathered Koda and Ivan into a group hug. They were crying, but no one minded, because they were all okay. They had made it out alive, and they were all home.  Together.

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact: the working title was "DON'T BREAK UP THE FAMILY KEEPER". I wrote this in about two days after spoiling myself for the season finale. Because they deserved to be happy.


End file.
